Camping, family-style: Pack up and head out for a classic, budget-friendly summer adventure

Jul. 8, 2013

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State parks

The New York State Park System’s Finger Lakes Region — including Tompkins, Steuben, Chemung, Tioga, Schuyler and other counties — has 11 parks edging against lakes, and six featuring gorges and waterfalls. As nysparks.com points out, Ithaca’s sky-high Taughannock Falls State Park offers both.

Many of the state parks can accommodate campers. Among them: Buttermilk Falls’ lower park has a campground, Stony Brook has 119 tent and trailer campsites, Robert H. Treman offers cabins and sites for tents and RVs, Watkins Glen features 305 campsites and Cayuga Lake boasts 286 campsites and 14 cabins.

The Park System’s Central Region includes Broome, Chenango, Delaware and other nearby counties. Nearest to Binghamton is Chenango Valley State Park with two dozen cabins and 185 campsites available for rental. Bowman Lake, “a camper’s paradise,” offers four- to six- person rustic cabins are more protection than tents but gave no water or electricity. Other parks offer similar accommodations.

Fortunately, there’s a low-cost local alternative that takes the family out of everyday life and into an entirely different world: camping.

Drive an hour or less to find places to pitch a tent or rent a cottage at a price reasonable enough for most families to afford.

Tax dollars at work

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation maintains and operates 179 parks, which include 113 campgrounds and more than 10,000 campsites.

Base fees per night start at $15, with single-digit fees tacked on for electricity, primo waterfront space, a pad and other amenities. Even the water/electric/prime placement package rings in at about $12.

Some cabins and cottages come fully equipped right down to frying pans, while others offer bare walls. Predictably, rental costs go up as the snazziness factor does.

Reservations can be made a day ahead or up to nine months in advance. Call (800) 456-CAMP or log on to newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com.

You’ll breathe easier now at those parks, too: In May, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced expanded tobacco-free areas within state parks for the 2013 summer season. They now include playgrounds, swimming pools, specific swimming beaches; pavilions and picnic shelters; and areas where outdoor environmental education programs are held or where children or large numbers of visitors congregate.

Other family favorites

Privately owned campgrounds compete to make theirs the most alluring destination for your family.

Other words need no explanation: At no extra charge, campers can enjoy a 3/4-mile train ride, merry-go-round, amusement rides, batting cages and much more.

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“They also get free food events, such as snow cones,” manager Carrie Milkie said. “And we have a Kids Are King Weekend where we provide them with lunch.” The mascot, Bucky, is also often on hand.

Nearby, find a number of other cool possibilities, such as the Tioga Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum and Animaland Zoological Park.

The 213 campsites book up quickly, though, so plan well in advance if you’re giving Bucktail serious consideration.

Families that enjoy fishing can check out Pine Creek Campground in Newfield. The trout stream and pond full of bass draw at least as many campers as do the kiddy playground, volleyball court, basketball hoops and ball field.

Camping spots also dot the Adirondack Mountains. Just be forewarned — vacationing there just once can be the start of a lifetime addiction. From historic lodges to lean-tos, any sort of experience can be had in the state’s quintessential wilderness. Check out www.adirondackcampgrounds.com to see some options.

If you camp at the KOA ground in Herkimer, take the kids to mine some “diamonds” while you’re there. The Richfield Springs campground puts you at the back door to Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Decisions, decisions

Many sites have other attractions nearby, and if the kids find rainy days distressing, it’s smart to have another option to offer.

Scout out the museums or fun spots available within short drives of whatever campsite you’re considering.

When you’re deciding on a campground, think about proximity to toilets, showers, bike paths, walking trails and water play.

Each private site has its own rules, and some state parks welcome up to two household pets, with certificates proving rabies inoculation and caged or on leashes 6 feet long or less, but they’re not allowed in swimming areas.

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Fine dining

And how will you cook? Does the site provide a grill, or should you bring your own?

Richard Holgate, co-owner of Pine Creek Campground, put charcoal and cooking pots high on the list of oft-forgotten items.

“I’ve also seen them forget tent stakes, or bars that hold the tents up,” he said. “When they do that, it’s pretty funny, actually.”

State and some private parks enforce firewood regulations to slow the spread of disease among its trees, allowing you to bring only heat-treated firewood or buy firewood on site.

Experts strongly advise storing food in the car or hanging from a tree, lest it be available to scavenging animals.

Some folks cook on a campfire, but it’s more practical to have a two-burner propane-powered camp stove, which starts at about $70, said Bill Van Pelt, assistant store manager for Eureka Camping Center in Binghamton. You can purchase the classic speckled blue enamel camping pots and pans, or simply bring everyday cooking utensils from home.

Opt for paper and plastic when it comes to cups and dinnerware — or bring those items from home, too, and save the expense.

If the sun’s blazing and summer’s at its finest, hydration will matter for young and old. So have plenty of water on hand, as well as healthy snacks and whatever food you plan for meals in a cooler —and maybe check in advance if there’s a pizzeria nearby.

Buy once, use for decades

Getting the family started in camping doesn’t have to be expensive, either — especially if you can borrow from friends or rent what you need to see if your family likes roughing it.

Polyester tents range from bare-bones to plush, and can often be rented or borrowed.

“The smallest of the family dome tents, in the four- to five-person range, would cost about $150,” Van Pelt said. “Top of the line — a large, luxury 12-person tent — can retail about $1,000.”

Tents come in many shapes, too, with dome, cabin style and umbrella frames the most popular — and all of them easy to assemble.

“They’re designed to go up in 10 minutes or less,” he said. “although practice and familiarity help speed things up.”

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If you take good care of it, limit UV from direct sun and store it fully dry, a tent can last a couple decades.

Some campers want structures that will let them socialize without becoming mosquito bait. A screen house runs about $100 to $450, and a tarp with aluminum poles, which can be set over a picnic table, costs less than $100.

Sleeping bags can run from $35 to $100 or higher, though some prefer air mattresses they can also offer overnight guests at home.

“Most are designed for one person, but rectangular ones can be opened up as a comforter,” Van Pelt said. “Zip two together and you’ve got a large double bag.”

A lantern comes in handy, and so might a firestarter. Make yourself a check list well in advance, and add to it as other items come to mind — toothbrushes, paste and floss; towels and soap; folding chairs and blankets to sit on; hats, sunglasses and sunscreen; beach towels and flip-flops; and a first aid kit and bug repellent.

Though campers hope for warmth and sunshine, rain and chilly temps always loom as possibilities. So be safe and pack umbrellas or raincoats and some toasty clothes, just in case.

Keep the good times rolling

Camping with wee ones gives the added benefit of rediscovering the outdoors through their eyes. Fireflies give fresh enchantment; listening to bird songs opens a portal to nature’s melodies.

But the vastness of a campground carries risks, so consider equipping kids of all ages with whistles to use in case they get lost.

Give each one a flashlight and bags to collect whatever catches their interest. Bring along snap light sticks that glow, kites, frisbee, ring toss or horseshoe-type games, favorite board games for rainy days and a deck of cards.

Water guns, of course, should be considered de rigeur for all ages, although finding ways to keep older kids occupied can be more of a challenge.

Check out geocaching.com to learn about one of the hottest outdoor activities around: Geocaching is a sort of treasure hunt wherein players try to find “geocaches,” with the use of a smartphone or Global Positioning System.

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Some campsites offer fishing, waterskiing or other water sports; canoeing and kayaking or other boating experiences, as well as trails for biking and maybe even four-wheeling.

Before leaving home, let older kids take responsibility for preparing one entire cookout meal, from deciding on the menu and making a shopping list to cooking and serving it on the campground.

Time in the great outdoors also offers a chance for kids — and adults — to pursue hobbies they haven’t found time for otherwise. Bring along a good novel, sketching pencils or paint and paper, a camera, a small whittling knife, or telescope and book diagramming the night sky, for example.

Of course campfires are perfect for telling ghost stories — a time for all ages to channel their inner Stephen Kings and create some lifetime memories.

And take tips from Boy and Girl Scouts: Teach the kids outdoor skills, such as knot tying, building a fire, tracking, building a shelter and orienteering with a compass.

Bring along guidebooks to identify birds and bugs; weeds and trees. Bring paper, crayons and scissors, too, to draw pictures of leaves and make your own tree-identification book.

Maybe at the end of the first day, haul out pencils and dollar-store notebooks so kids can keep daily journals of all they’ve encountered and experienced in the great outdoors.

Before you go, hit the Internet — particularly Pinterest — to capitalize on other people’s ideas and experiences when it comes to fun and safe camping with kids.

No matter where or how you choose to camp, one piece of advice stands above all others: Don’t forget the marshmallows.

Campers Pizza

Spice up your family campfire meal with this take on individual pizzas:

Brush the tortillas on both sides with oil and place on the grill. Cook one site till brown and flip over. Spread ¼ cup sauce on each torilla and top with shredded cheeses and toppings, top with the parmesan cheese. Close the lid and cook about 4 to 8 minutes (cooking time depends upon the heat of your grill and the number of toppings on each tortilla)